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BANCROFT 
LIBRARY 

•o- 

THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


DEPARTMENT  OF  THE  INTERIOR 

FRANKLIN  K.  LANE.  SECRETARY 

NATIONAL    PARK    SERVICE 

STEPHEN  T.  MATHER.  DIRECTOR 


NATIONAL  MONUMENTS  AS 
WILD-LIFE  SANCTUARIES 


ADDRESS      ::      ::      By  T.  S.^/PALMER 

Expert  in  Game  Conservation,  Biological  Survey 

DELIVERED  AT  THE  NATIONAL  PARKS  CONFERENCE 
AT  WASHINGTON,  D.  C,  JANUARY  4,  1917 


WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE 
1917 


NATIONAL  MONUMENTS  AS  WILD-LIFE  SANCTUARIES. 

By  T.  S.  PALMER,  Expert  in  Game  Conservation,  Biological  Survey. 

Much  has  been  written  and  many  photographs  have  been  published 
illustrating  the  wild  life  in  the  national  parks.  The  bears,  the 
buffalo,  and  the  elk  of  the  Yellowstone  are  as  closely  associated  with 
this  park  as  are  the  hot  springs  or  geysers.  The  mountain  sheep  is 
almost  as  closely  associated  with  the  Rocky  Mountain  Park  or  the 
mountain  goat  with  the  Mount  Rainier  or  the  Glacier  Park  as  are 
waterfalls  with  Yosemite  or  the  big  trees  with  the  Sequoia  Park. 
Of  national  parks  there  are  now  16  and  of  national  monuments  21 
in  charge  of  the  National  Park  Service  of  the  Department  of  the 
Interior.  In  addition,  there  are  11  national  monuments  on  national 
forests  in  charge  of  the  Forest  Service  of  the  Department  of  Agri 
culture,  and  2  national  monuments  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  War 
Department.  Of  these  50  reservations,  the  34  monuments  have  a 
combined  area  of  about  1,900  square  miles,  or  a  little  more  than  one- 
fourth  the  area  of  the  national  parks  and  a  little  less  than  that  of  the 
State  of  Delaware. 

Comparatively  little  has  been  published  on  the  wild  life  of  the 
national  monuments  and  even  the  existence  of  some  of  the  most  in 
teresting  reservations  is  scarcely  known  to  the  public.  Much  less 
has  the  tourist  or  casual  visitor  a  -clear  idea  of  what  constitutes  a 
national  monument,  of  the  diverse  character  of  monuments,  or  of  the 
distinction  between  a  national  monument  and  a  national  park.  This, 
perhaps,  is  not  surprising  when  it  is  recalled  that  only  a  few  years 
ago  a  former  Cabinet  officer  to  whom  was  submitted  a  recommenda 
tion  for  the  establishment  of  one  of  the  larger  national  monuments 
inquired,  "What  kind  of  a  monument  do  you  propose  to  build?" 
And  upon  being  assured  that  it  was  not  the  intention  to  build  any 
monument,  but  merety  to  preserve  some  objects  of  unusual  scien 
tific  interest  under  the  national  monuments  act,  remarked,  "Well, 
I  don't  know  what  you  are  going  to  do,  but  if  Mr.  —  —  says  it  is 
all  right  I  will  approve  the  recommendation."  And  within  a  few 
days  the  monument  became  an  accomplished  fact. 

From  time  immemorial  man  has  been  accustomed  to  erect  monu 
ments  in  honor  of  celebrated  men  or  to  commemorate  important 
events  in  history  by  monuments,  and  these  monuments,  many  of 
them  unfortunately  now  in  ruins,  are  carefully  preserved  as  ex- 

22310—17—1  3 


4  NATIONAL  MONUMENTS  AS  WILD-LIFE  SANCTUARIES. 

amples  of  his  work  or  mementos  of  his  accomplishments.  Similarly 
nature  has  carved  rocks,  has  hollowed  out  caverns,  and  has  developed 
remarkable  types  of  plant  and  animal  life  adapted  for  peculiar  con 
ditions.  The  fact  that  such  objects  are  properly  monuments  was 
recognized  nearly  a  hundred  years  ago  by  the  celebrated  traveler 
Alexander  von  Humboldt  who,  in  describing  some  of  the  marvelous 
trees  he  had  found  in  his  travels  in  the  Tropics  referred  to  them  as 
"  natural  monuments."  Recently  the  term  "  natural  monuments " 
has  been  adopted  abroad  to  denote  any  natural  object  of  scientific 
interest,  whether  geological,  botanical,  or  zoological,  and  the  im 
portance  of  preserving  such  monuments  is  now  recognized  both  in 
Europe  and  America. 

MOVEMENT   FOB  PRESERVATION   OF   NATURAL   MONUMENTS    SIMULTANEOUS   IN   EUROPE 

AND  AMERICA. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  policy  of  preserving  under  the 
care  of  the  Government  objects  of  historic  or  scientific  interest  for 
the  benefit  of  the  public  was  adopted  almost  simultaneously  in  Ger 
many  and  in  the  United  States.  In  Prussia  the  movement  took  the 
form  in  1906  of  a  provision  for  the  appointment  of  a  special  officer 
known  as  the  State  commissioner  for  the  care  of  natural  monuments, 
who,  under  the  supervision  of  the  minister  of  education,  was  charged 
with  the  duty  of  locating,  protecting,  and  making  known  the  various 
objects  of  scientific  interest  worthy  of  preservation.  No  funds  were 
provided  for  the  purchase  of  sites  of  such  monuments,  but  it  was  the 
duty  of  the  commissioner  to  locate  and  mark  them,  and  to  interest 
the  owners,  whether  State,  municipal,  or  private,  in  their  preserva 
tion.  These  natural  monuments*  are  of  various  kinds  and  may  in 
clude  an  historic  tree,  an  unusually  fine  specimen  of  some  shrub,  a 
group  of  rare  plants,  a  bog  containing  northern  plants  or  animals,  a 
breeding  colony  of  birds,  a  curiously  carved  rock  or  a  glacial 
bowlder — in  short,  almost  any  object  of  scientific  interest. 

In  the  United  States  the  movement  took  a  somewhat  different  form, 
but  in  the  same  year  resulted  in  the  passage  of  an  act  of  Congress 
providing  for  preservation  under  national  auspices  not  only  of 
natural  objects  of  scientific  interest,  but  also  of  historic  landmarks 
and  historic  structures.  This  act,  approved  June  8,  1906,  entitled 
"An  act  for  the  preservation  of  American  antiquities,"  and  commonly 
known  as  the  national  monuments  act,  authorizes  the  President  of 
the  United  States  to  declare  by  public  proclamation  as  national 
monuments,  historic  landmarks,  historic  and  prehistoric  structures, 
and  other  "  objects  of  historic  or  scientific  interest  situated  on  lands 
owned  or  controlled  by  the  Government  of  the  United  States."  No 
appropriation  was  made  for  carrying  the  law  into  effect  or  providing 
for  the  care  of  the  monuments  which  might  be  created  in  this  way. 


NATIONAL  MONUMENTS  AS  WILD-LIFE  SANCTUARIES.  5 

Not  until  1910  wras  any  general  circular  of  information  regarding 
the  monuments  available  for  general  distribution,  and  not  until  1916 
was  any  specific  appropriation  made  for  their  protection  or  any  pro 
vision  made  for  a  comprehensive  plan  of  administration. 

Looking  back  over  the  past  10  years,  it  is  interesting  to  observe 
that  both  in  Prussia  and  in  the  United  States  the  attainment  of  essen 
tially  the  same  object  has  been  sought  in  different  ways,  but  pri 
marily  by  a  campaign  of  education.  In  Prussia  attention  has  been 
concentrated  on  educating  the  public  as  to  the  importance  of  pre 
serving  these  natural  treasures,  whether  under  the  care  of  State 
authorities  or  private  individuals.  In  the  United  States  attention 
has  been  concentrated  on  setting  apart  the  more  important  natural 
monuments  and  historic  landmarks  on  public  lands  as  national  monu 
ments  and  preserving  them  by  proclamations  and  warning  notices. 

THREE   KINDS   OF    MONUMENTS — HISTORIC   LANDMARKS,    HISTORIC    MONUMENTS,   AND 

NATURAL  MONUMENTS. 

The  national  monument  act  practically  contemplates  the  establish 
ment  of  monuments  of  three  different  kinds : 

(1)  Landmarks,  or  places  of  purely  historic  interest,  include  such 
reservations  as  the  Cabrillo  Monument  in  California,  which  marks 
the  point  where  Juan  Rodriguez  Cabrillo  first  sighted  the  coast  of 
California  in  1542 ;  and  the  Big  Hole  Battlefield  in  Montana  where 
a  superior  force  of  Nez  Perce  Indians  was  defeated  by  United  States 
States  troops  on  August  9,  1877.     These  monuments  mark  spots 
closely  connected  with  the  history  of  the  West,  but  contain  no  pre 
historic  structures  or  objects  of  scientific  interest. 

(2)  Historic  structures,  or  monuments  proper,  comprise  such  ruins 
as  Montezuma  Castle,  the  Gila  Cliff  Dwellings,  the  ruins  in  Chaco 
and  Walnut  Canyons,  and  the  old  Spanish  Missions  of  Gran  Quivira 
ir  New  Mexico  and  Tumacacori  in  Arizona. 

(3)  Natural  monuments  include  a  variety  of  objects  of  scientific 
interest,  ranging  from  the  stupendous  gorge  of  the  Colorado  River 
in  Arizona  and  the  glacier  covered  summits  of  the  Olympic  Moun 
tains  in  Washington  to  the  wind-swept  rocks  of  the  Wheeler  Monu 
ment  in  Colorado,  the  natural  bridges  in  Utah,  the  Lewis  and  Clark 
Cave  in  Montana,  the  fossils  of  the  Dinosaur  Monument  in  Utah,  the 
petrified  forests  in  Arizona,  the  redwood  trees  of  the  Muir  Woods 
in  California,  and  the  giant  cactuses  in  the  Papago  Saguaro  Monu 
ment  in  Arizona.     In  this  group  are  found  the  monuments  which 
are  most  important  as  wild  life  sanctuaries. 

It  could  scarcely  be  expected  that  the  historic,  the  archaeological 
or  the  paleontological  reservations  would  contain  much  that  is 
remarkable  in  flora  or  fauna,  but  it  is  interesting  to  note  that  8  or 
nearly  25  per  cent  of  the  34  monuments,  including  most  of  the 
larger  ones,  are  of  considerable  interest  in  connection  with  the 


6  NATIONAL  MONUMENTS  AS  WILD-LIFE  SANCTUAEIES. 

preservation  of  wild  life.  These  eight  monuments  in  the  order  of 
their  creation  are:  (1)  El  Morro,  in  New  Mexico;  (2)  the  Muir 
Woods,  in  California;  (3)  the  Grand  Canyon,  in  Arizona;  (4)  the 
Pinnacles,  in  California;  (5)  the  Colorado,  near  Grand  Junction, 
Colo.;  (6)  Mount  Olympus,  in  Washington;  (7)  Papago  Saguaro, 
in  Arizona;  and  (8)  Sieur  de  Monts,  in  Maine.  Two  of  them — 
Muir  Woods  and  Papago  Saguaro — are  primarily  botanical; 
three  others — the  Grand  Canyon,  Mount  Olympus,  and  the  Pinna 
cles — are  essentially  geological;  while  the  Sieur  de  Monts  combines 
historical,  geological,  botanical,  and  zoological  attractions.  Two 
are  located  in  Arizona,  two  in  California,  and  one  each  in  Colorado, 
Maine,  New  Mexico,  and  Washington.  With  the  exception  of  El 
Morro  and  the  Muir  Woods,  each  has  an  area  of  more  than  1,000 
acres — Mount  Olympus,  including  some  300,000,  and  the  Grand 
Canyon,  more  than  800,000  acres.  Their  combined  area  includes 
more  than  a  million  acres — a  territory  larger  than  the  area  of 
Glacier  National  Park,  and  more  than  half  the  size  of  the  Yellow 
stone. 

JURISDICTION. 

At  this  point  it  is  pertinent  to  consider  the  nature  of  the  pro 
tection  accorded  the  birds,  game,  or  other  objects  of  scientific  inter 
est  in  a  monument  under  the  care  of  the  General  Government.  Tt 
has  been  said  that  the  principal  difference  between  a  national 
monument  and  a  national  park  is  that  a  monument  has  merely 
been  made  safe  from  private  encroachment,  while  a  park  has  been 
similarly  protected  but  in  addition  is  in  process  of  development  so 
as  to  become  a  convenient  resort  for  the  people.  From  a  legal 
standpoint,  theoretically  at  least,  a  broader  distinction  exists  in 
the  matter  of  jurisdiction.  In  some  of  the  national  parks  in  which 
the  necessary  legislation  has  been  enacted  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
Federal  Government  is  complete  and  exclusive,  and  all  cases 
involving  violations  of  the  law  or  regulations  are  tried  in  the 
United  States  courts.  In  the  national  monuments,  on  the  con 
trary,  State  laws  are  still  in  force,  as  there  has  been  no  cession 
of  State  authority  and  jurisdiction  is  exercised  as  it  were  through 
cooperation  between  the  Nation  and  the  State.  Whether  a  case 
is  tried  in  the  Federal  or  State  courts  depends  on  the  nature  of 
the  offense  or  the  question  at  issue.  The  Federal  Government, 
as  proprietor  of  a  national  monument,  is  in  much  the  same  posi 
tion  as  a  landowner,  who  has  the  right  to  protect  his  property 
against  all  forms  of  trespass,  but  who  does  not  always  exercise  itr 
and  who  relies  on  the  State  for  general  protection.  Stated  more 
specifically  by  way  of  illustration  the  conditions  are  somewhat  as 
follows:  A  person  charged  with  killing  game,  cutting  timber,  or 
with  having  committed  any  ordinary  misdemeanor  in  the  Yellow 
stone  National  Park  would  be  tried  in  the  Federal  court,  whereas 


NATIONAL  MONUMENTS  AS  WILD-LIFE  SANCTUARIES.  7 

one  charged  with  the  commission  of  any  of  those  offenses  on  a  na 
tional  monument  would  be  tried  in  the  Federal  court  for  cutting 
timber  or  for  carrying  firearms  in  violation  of  departmental  regu 
lations,  but  he  might  be  tried  in  the  State  courts  for  killing  game 
or  committing  some  other  misdemeanor  prohibited  by  State  law. 

Under  existing  conditions  the  question  is  rather  more  complex.  In 
7  of  the  16  national  parks  the  Federal  Government  now  exercises 
jurisdiction  in  the  Yellowstone  and  Platt  Parks  through  provisions 
in  the  acts  of  Congress  admitting  the  States  of  Wyoming  and  Okla 
homa  to  the  Union;  in  the  Hot  Springs  Eeservation  and  in  the 
Glacier,  Mount  Rainier,  and  Crater  Lake  Parks  through  the  accept 
ance  by  Congress  of  the  jurisdiction  ceded  by  the  States  of  Arkansas, 
Montana,  Washington,  and  Oregon;  and  in  the  Hawaii  Park  by 
virtue  of  the  jurisdiction  over  a  Territory  exercised  by  the  General 
Government.1 

In  the  case  of  the  national  monuments  protection  is  afforded  by  a 
number  of  Federal  laws  and  regulations.  Under  the  monuments  act 
(34  Stat.,  225)  the  land  is  withdrawn  from  all  forms  of  entry,  and 
the  injury,  destruction,  or  unauthorized  appropriation  of  any  pre 
historic  ruin  or  object  of  antiquity  is  prohibited  under  heavy  pen 
alties.  Under  the  Criminal  Code  (35  Stat.,  1088),  cutting  timber  is 
punishable  by  a  fine  of  $500  or  imprisonment  not  more  than  one 
year,  or  both  (sec.  50) ;  setting  on  fire  any  timber,  underbrush,  or 
grass  (sec.  52),  building  fires  in  or  near  any  timber  without  totally 
extinguishing  them  before  leaving  (sec.  53),  or  breaking  down  fences 
inclosing  lands  reserved  for  public  use,  or  permitting  any  stock  to 
destroy  grass  or  trees  on  such  lands  (sec.  56),  are  punishable  by  simi 
lar  or  even  more  severe  penalties. 

Under  the  Lacey  Act,  now  incorporated  in  the  Criminal  Code  (35 
Stat.,  1137),  the  incentive  to  kill  game  for  market  or  for  hides  is 
removed  by  the  provision  prohibiting  interstate  shipment  of  birds  or 
game  killed  in  violation  of  State  laws.  Under  the  Federal  migra 
tory-bird  law  (37  Stat.,  847)  and  the  treaty  with  Great  Britaip  for 
the  protection  of  migratory  birds  in  the  United  States  and  Canada, 
migratory  birds  are  protected  throughout  the  year,  and  the  band- 
tailed  pigeon,  the  largest  of  the  native  pigeons,  and  still  common  in 
some  parts  of  the  West,  is  protected  at  all  seasons  for  several  years. 
(U.'S.  Dept.  Agri.;  Farmers'  Bull.  774,  pp.  18-20,  1916.) 

Under  the  Grand  Canyon  Game  Preserve  act  (34  Stat.,  607),  spe 
cial  protection  is  given  the  game  in  that  part  of  the  Grand  Canyon 

1  Recommendations  have  been  made  with  a  view  of  securing  cession  of  State  jurisdic 
tion  over  the  General  Grant,  Lassen,  Sequoia,  and  Yosemite  Parks,  in  California,  and  the 
Mesa  Verde  and  Hocky  Mountain  Parks,  in  Colorado.  Thus  the  Casa  Grande  Ruins, 
Wind  Cave,  and  Sullys  Hill  Parks  are  the  only  ones  in  which  no  such  action  has  been 
taken.  Special  protection  of  the  Sullys  Hill  Park,  in  the  matter  of  hunting  and  trap 
ping,  has  recently  been  provided  by  the  State  of  North  Dakota. 


8  NATIONAL  MONUMENTS  AS  WILD-LIFE  SANCTUARIES. 

Monument  overlapping  the  game  preserve  along  the  north  rim  of  the 
canyon.  Under  the  National  Park  Service  act  (39  Stat,  535),  the 
Secretary  of  the  Interior  is  authorized  to  dispose  of  dead  or  diseased 
timber,  to  provide  for  the  destruction  of  injurious  species  of  animals 
or  plants,  and  to  regulate  grazing.  Regulations  for  the  government 
of  the  monuments  promulgated  by  the  Department  of  the  Interior 
in  1910  prohibit  building  fires,  using  firearms,  fishing,  picking  flowers, 
ferns,  or  shrubs,  polluting  the  water,  or  leaving  vehicles  or  horses, 
except  at  designated  places.  (Report  on  Sullys  Hill  Park,  Muir 
Woods,  etc.,  Department  of  the  Interior,  1915,  p.  8.) 

It  is  possible  for  a  State  to  supplement  the  protection  provided 
by  the  Government  either  directly  or  indirectly  and  even  to  prohibit 
all  hunting  on  a  monument  as  has  actually  been  done  in  the  case 
of  the  Pinnacles  Monument.  Some  of  the  States  have  manifested  a 
deep  interest  in  the  reservations  and  a  spirit  of  hearty  cooperation 
in  their  maintenance  by  enacting  laws  which  have  added  materially 
to  the  protection  of  the  wild  life.  The  State  law  of  Washington 
protecting  elk,  which  was  recently  extended,  that  passed  in  Colorado 
in  1913  suspending  deer  hunting,  and  that  protecting  mountain  sheep 
in  Arizona  are  effective  adjuncts  in  the  preservation  of  the  big  game 
on  the  Mount  Olympus,  the  Colorado,  and  the  Grand  Canyon  Monu 
ments.  California  made  the  Pinnacles  Monument  a  State  game  pre 
serve  by  act  of  1909  (ch.  428)  and  more  recently  has  defined  it  as 
game  and  fish  district  No.  25  in  which  all  hunting  is  prohibited  (Laws 
1915,  ch.  379).  Oregon  has  made  it  unlawful  to  hunt  or  trap  wild 
animals  or  birds  within  the  boundaries  of  any  watershed  reservation 
set  aside  for  the  Government,  or  on  lands  in  any  national  bird  or 
game  reservation  or  in  a  national  park  (Laws  1913,  ch.  232,  sec.  20), 
and  North  Dakota  has  made  it  unlawful  to  hunt  or  trap  on  the 
national  game  refuge  in  Sullys  Hill  National  Park  or  in  any  other 
national  reserve  or  game  refuge  that  has  been  or  may  hereafter  be 
established  within  the  State  (Laws  1915,  ch.  161,  sec.  60). 

SOME   OF    THE    MOKE   IMPORTANT    NATIONAL    MONUMENTS. 

Having  considered  the  nature  of  a  monument  and  the  protection 
accorded  the  wild  life  which  it  contains  it  is  in  order  to  mention 
briefly  the  characteristics  of  the  individual  monuments  and  the 
species  which  may  be  preserved  on  them.  First  in  importance  may 
be  considered  the  two  largest  monuments,  the  Grand  Canyon  and 
Mount  Olympus,  which  will  ultimately  in  all  probability  be  made 
national  parks. 

GEAND  CANYON  NATIONAL  MONUMENT. 

The  Grand  Canyon  National  Monument,  established  January  11, 
1908,  comprises  an  area  of  about  800,000  acres  and  includes  within 


NATIONAL  MONUMENTS  AS  WILD-LIFE  SANCTUARIES.  9 

its  boundaries  the  great  chasm  formed  by  the  river  together  with  a 
narrow  strip  along  the  north  and  south  rims  of  the  plateau.  The 
wonders  of  the  canyon  itself  with  its  marvelous  coloring  and  fan 
tastic  formations  so  engross  the  attention  of  the  visitor  that  little 
thought  is  usually  given  to  anything  else  than  scenery  on  this  reser 
vation.  Whether  maintained  as  a  monument  or  made  a  national 
park  it  has,  and  will  continue  to  have,  certain  features  which  render 
it  important  as  a  refuge  for  some  kinds  of  big  game  and  also  for 
birds  and  other  forms  of  wild  life.  The  inaccessibility  of  many  parts 
of  the  canyon  walls  furnish  a  safe  retreat  for  mountain  sheep  which 
exist  here  in  greater  numbers  than  is  generally  realized.  In  1912 
Mr.  Charles  Sheldon,  who  has  devoted  much  time  and  study  in  the 
field  to  the  distribution  and  range  of  mountain  sheep  in  the  Yukon 
region  in  Alaska,  and  in  the  southwest,  visited  the  canyon  for 
the  purpose-  of  investigating  the  condition  of  the  sheep.  In  his  re 
port  to  the  Boone  and  Crockett  Club  he  says : 

For  the  purpose  of  investigating  the  sheep  two  members  of  the  game  com 
mittee  made  in  November  last  a  special  trip  to  the  Grand  Canyon  of  the  Colo 
rado  in  Arizona.  They  were  surprised  to  find  that  with  the  exception  of  an 
area  of  20  miles  on  the  north  side  of  the  river  directly  east  of  Kaibab  Canyon, 
sheep  are  fairly  abundant  in  the  canyon  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  throughout 
the  entire  length  of  the  Grand  Canyon.  The  most  conservative  estimate  that 
could  be  allowed  places  the  number  of  sheep  in  the  Grand  Canyon  at  1,000, 
There  are  probably  many  more.  These  sheep  range  in  most  places  well  within 
the  inner  canyon.  Most  of  the  territory  where  they  feed  is  quite  inaccessible 
to  hunters. 

Even  if  this  estimate  is  rather  high  it  indicates  that  there  are  more 
mountain  sheep  in  the  Grand  Canyon  than  in  any  one  of  the  national 
parks. 

The  scarcity  of  water  along  the  south  rim  of  the  canyon  makes 
this  area  unfavorable  for  the  presence  of  deer  in  any  considerable 
numbers,  but  on  the  north  rim  on  the  Kaibab  Plateau,  partly  within 
the  area  of  the  monument  but  mainly  in  the  adjoining  Grand  Canyon 
Game  Preserve,  mule  deer  are  abundant.  The  number  at  present 
is  probably  several  thousand,  but  even  the  most  conservative  esti 
mate  indicates  that  this  is  probably  the  largest  number  of  mule 
deer  within  the  limits  of  any  Government  reservation. 

The  smaller  mammals  and  the  birds  also  find  here  a  safe  refuge 
from  all  except  their  natural  enemies,  as  the  rugged  canyon  walls 
naturally  discourage  and  prevent  pursuit.  Very  little  is  known  of 
the  possibilities  of  the  canyon  as  a  bird  sanctuary.  In  fact,  no  com 
plete  list  of  the  birds  of  this  reservation  has  yet  been  published,  not 
withstanding  the  fact  that  since  the  completion  of  the  branch 
railroad  from  Williams  to  Grand  Canyon  Station  in  1902  hundreds 
of  thousands  of  persons  have  visited  the  spot  and  a  number  of 
ornithologists  have  stopped  here  at  different  times,  but  none  of  them 
22310—17 2 


10  NATIONAL  MONUMENTS  AS  WILD-LIFE  SANCTUARIES. 

has  remained  long  enough  to  prepare  a  list  which  can  be  considered 
even  approximately  complete.  The  canyon  offers  unusual  advan 
tages  for  studying  the  effect  of  altitude  on  the  distribution  of  animal 
and  plant  life  and  in  this  respect  affords  exceptional  educational 
advantages.  On  the  trip  down  the  Bright  Angel  Trail  from  El 
Tovar  to  the  river  the  visitor  descends  from  an  elevation  of  7,000 
to  1,000  feet,  passing  in  rapid  succession  the  various  forms  of 
life  found  between  the  pine-covered  plateau  of  northern  Arizona 
and  the  fauna  of  the  hot  deserts  in  the  southern  part  of  the  State. 
Although  animal  life  does  not  seem  abundant,  opportunity  is 
afforded  for  glimpses  of  many  interesting  forms,  including  Aberts' 
squirrels,  chipmunks,  crested  and  Woodhouse's  jays,  mountain  chick 
adees,  and  tiny  humming  birds,  while  the  wonderful  notes  of  the 
rock  and  canyon  wrens  and  several  characteristic  western  birds  may 
be  heard.  In  few  of  the  parks  are  the  effects  of  the  influence  of 
elevation  on  distribution  of  wild  life  more  clearly  forced  upon  the 
attention  of  even  the  casual  observer.  In  referring  to  the  wonderful 
opportunity  for  studying  these  problems,  Dr.  C.  Hart  Merriam  says : 

The  complex  and  interacting  effects  of  radiation  and  refraction,  of  aridity 
and  humidity,  of  marked  difference  in  temperature  at  places  of  equal  alti 
tude  on  opposite  sides  of  the  canyon,  of  every  possible  angle  of  slope  exposure, 
and  of  exposure  to  and  protection  from  winds  and  storms,  produce  a  diversity 
of  climatic  conditions,  the  effect  of  which  on  the  animal  and  vegetable  life  of 
the  canyon  has  been  to  bring  into  close  proximity  species  characteristic  of 
widely  separated  regions  and  to  crowd  the  several  life  zones  into  narrow 
parallel  bands  along  the  sides  of  the  canyon — bands  which  expand  and  con 
tract  in  conforming  to  the  ever-changing  surface.  *  *  *  In  short,  the 
Grand  Canyon  of  the  Colorado  is  a  world  in  itself,  and  a  great  fund  of 
knowledge  is  in  store  for  the  philosophic  biologist  whose  privilege  it  is  to  study 
exhaustively  the  problems  there  presented.  (Biol.  Survey,  U.  S.  Dept.  Agr., 
N.  A.  Fauna  No.  3,  p.  37,  1890.) 

MOUNT   OLYMPUS    NATIONAL    MONUMENT. 

Second  in  size  only  to  the  Grand  Canyon  is  the  Mount  Olympus 
Monument,  which  occupies  the  summits  of  the  Olympic  Mountains 
in  northwestern  Washington.  It  contains  many  objects  of  unusual 
scientific  interest,  including  numerous  glaciers  and  also  the  summer 
home  and  breeding  grounds  of  the  Olympic  elk,  a  species  peculiar 
to  this  region.  As  originally  established,  on  March  2,  1909,  it  con 
tained  approximately  608,640  acres.  In  1912  a  tract  of  160  acres  was 
eliminated,  and  by  the  proclamation  of  May  11,  1915,  the  size  of  the 
reservation  was  reduced  50  per  cent,  so  that  the  area  at  present  is 
299.370  acres.  During  the  last  12  years  elk  hunting  has  been  sus 
pended  in  the  State,  and  this  protection  in  connection  with  the 
protection  of  their  breeding  grounds  has  resulted  in  a  gratifying 
increase  in  the  number  of  elk.  In  1905,  when  the  close  season  was 


NATIONAL  MONUMENTS  AS  WILD-LIFE  SANCTUARIES.  11 

first  established,  it  was  estimated  that  the  elk  in  the  Olympic  region 
numbered  2,000  or  less.  Late  in  1910,  nearly  two  years  after  the 
creation  of  the  monument,  a  careful  estimate  made  by  the  forest 
ranger  at  Port  Angeles,  Wash.,  placed  the  total  number  at  3,000  or 
3,500,  of  which  about  2,000  were  on  the  Olympic  National  Forest, 
within  which  the  monument  is  located.  The  largest  bands  were 
found  on  the  watersheds  of  the  Bogachiel,  Elwah,  Hoh,  Queetz,  and 
Soleduck  Rivers.  The  number  of  deer  was  estimated  at  3,000  or 
4,000.  It  is  impossible  to  say  even  approximately  how  many  elk 
are  found  within  the  present  boundaries  of  the  reservation.  The 
total  number  in  the  Olympics  may  perhaps  be  conservatively  esti 
mated  at  about  4,000,  notwithstanding  some  losses  which  have 
recently  occurred  in  severe  winters.  This  is  at  least  double  the  num 
ber  estimated  in  the  herds  at  the  beginning  of  the  period  of  protec 
tion.  So  long  as  hunting  is  suspended  the  monument  practically 
forms  a  national  game  preserve. 

EL  MOKKO  NATIONAL  MONUMENT. 

The  El  Morro  National  Monument,  better  known  by  its  local  name 
of  "  Inscription  Rock,"  is  a  small  reservation  of  160  acres  35  miles 
due  east  of  the  Zuni  Pueblos,  New  Mexico.  It  was  established  by 
proclamation  of  December  8,  1906,  for  the  purpose  of  preserving 
the  sandstone  cliffs  some  200  feet  in  height,  bearing  inscriptions  made 
by  early  Spanish  explorers  in  the  sixteenth  and  seventeenth  cen 
turies.  The  monument  is  too  small  to  serve  as  a  very  important 
wild-life  refuge,  but  it  is  associated  with  the  discovery  of  one  of  the 
most  characteristic  birds  of  the  Southwest,  and  as  an  actual  record 
of  the  history  of  exploration  of  New  Mexico  it  is  probably  unique. 
To  the  historian  Inscription  Rock  is  interesting  chiefly  on  account 
of  its  association  with  the  name  of  Juan  de  Onate,  founder  of 
Santa  Fe,  who,  on  his  return  from  an  expedition  to  the  head  of  the 
Gulf  of  California,  visited  this  point  in  1606.  To  the  ornithologist 
the  rock  recalls  the  visits  of  two  eminent  ornithologists,  Dr.  S.  W. 
Wocdhouse  and  Dr.  Elliott  Coues,  and  the  discovery  of  the  whits- 
throated  swift  which  occupies  the  rock  as  one  of  its  breeding  places. 
In  1851  the  Government  expedition  from  the  Zuni  to  the  Colorado 
Rivers  in  command  of  Capt.  Lorenzo  Sitgreaves  was  encamped  at 
this  point  and  Dr.  Woodhouse,  naturalist  and  surgeon  of  the  ex 
pedition,  saw  for  the  first  time  a  new  species  of  swift,  which  he 
named  Acanthylis  saxatilis.  In  his  report  he  says: 

This  beautiful  swift  I  saw  whilst  encamped  at  Inscription  Rock,  N.  Mex. 
Being  on  the  top  of  this  high  rock  at  the  time  without  my  gun  I  was  unable  to 
procure  specimens.  I  had  a  fair  view  of  the  birds  at  this  time,  as  they  flew 
<:lose  to  me.  I  descended  immediately  and  procured  my  gun ;  but  the  birds  this 


12  NATIONAL  MONUMENTS  AS  WILD-LIFE  SANCTUARIES. 

time  flew  too  high  for  me  to  be  able  to  procure  a  shot  at  them.  They  were 
breeding  in  the  rocks.  (Sitgreaves,  Report  Expedition  down  Zuni  and  Colo 
rado  Rivers,  p.  64,  1853.) 

A  few  years  after  Woodhouse's  visit  Dr.  Coues  camped  at  Inscrip 
tion  Rock  and  records  an  experience  with  the  swifts  very  much  like 
that  of  Dr.  Woodhouse.  He  says: 

While  encamped  at  Inscription  Rock  (the  original  locality  of  saxatilis)  I  saw 
great  numbers  of  these  swifts;  but  as  I  had  been  obliged  to  leave  mv  gun 
behind,  to  accomplish  the  difficult  and  rather  dangerous  ascent  of  the  cliffs,  I 
failed  to  secure  specimens,  though  the  birds  occasionally  flew  almost  in  mv  face, 
so  that  I  could  positively  identify  them.  *  *  *.  From  Inscription  Rock, 
which  lies  a  day's  march  west  of  Whipples  Pass,  between  this  and  Zuni,  to  the 
San  Francisco  Mountains,  I  saw  the  swifts  almost  daily — always  when  we 
passed  the  peculiar  cliffs  they  frequent.  *  *  *.  They  generally  fly  very 
high — far  out  of  gunshot-range,  and  with  extraordinary  rapidity.  I  shall  never 
forget  my  disappointment  when,  on  this  account,  I  failed  to  secure  specimens 
under  the  most  advantageous  circumstances  I  could  reasonably  expect.  (Birds 
of  the  Northwest,  p.  266.) 

In  the  absence  of  actual  specimens,  Dr.  Woodhouse  described  the 
new  swift  as  best  he  could  as  having  the  head  and  rump  white ;  the 
back,  tail,  wings,  and  sides  black ;  and  as  being  white  beneath.  Three 
years  later,  in  1854,  a  specimen  of  the  white- throated  swift  was  col 
lected  near  San  Francisco  Mountain,  Ariz.,  and  examined  by  Prof. 
Baird,  who  described  it  under  the  specific  name  melanoleucus.  For 
many  years  the  bird  was  known  by  the  original  name  given  by 
Woodhouse;  but  in  recent  years,  chiefly  because  the  white-throated 
swift  has  no  white  rump  and  no  white-rumped  swift  has  yet  been 
found  within  the  borders  of  the  United  States,  this  name  has  been 
replaced  by  that  proposed  by  Baird,  based  on  a  more  accurate  de 
scription  and  an  actual  specimen.  The  white-throated  swift  is  now 
known  as  Aeronautes  melanoleucus^  but  Inscription  Rock  still  marks 
the  spot  where  the  species  was  first  seen  by  an  ornithologist  and  re 
calls  the  peculiar  circumstances  under  which  the  bird  was  introduced 
to  the  scientific  world. 

MUIB  WOODS   NATIONAL   MONUMENT. 

Seven  miles  north  of  San  Francisco,  nestled  near  the  foot  of  Mount 
Tamalpais,  is  a  tract  of  295  acres  known  as  the  Muir  Woods.  This 
area,  formerly  in  private  hands,  was  deeded  to  the  United  States  De 
cember  31,  1907,  by  William  and  Elizabeth  Thatcher  Kent  for  the 
purpose  of  preserving  a  grove  of  magnificent  redwoods  growing  in 
the  canyon  within  its  boundaries.  The  reservation  is  interesting  not 
only  as  a  monument  to  the  species  for  which  it  was  established,  but 
also  to  the  public,  spirit  of  the  donors  and  the  memory  of  the  emi 
nent  Californian,  John  Muir,  whose  name  it  now  bears. 


NATIONAL  MONUMENTS  AS  WILD-LIFE  SANCTUARIES.  13 

Easily  accessible  from  San  Francisco,  in  an  hour's  trip  by  ferry, 
trolley,  and  steam  railway,  Muir  Woods  is  visited  by  thousands  of 
people  every  year.  Many  who  are  unable,  through  lack  of  time  or 
means,  to  visit  the  giant  sequoias  on  the  slopes  of  the  Sierras  in  the 
General  Grant,  Sequoia,  and  Yosemite  National  Parks  may  here 
become  acquainted  with  its  nearly  related  species,  the  redwood. 
Travelers  from  distant  regions  often  find  Muir  Woods  the  most 
accessible  point  at  which  to  observe  the  tree  amid  it  natural  sur 
roundings.  Great  as  may  be  the  interest  in  the  California  red 
wood,  this  species  is  only  one  of  a  number  of  dominant  types 
characteristic  of  an  important  natural-life  zone  in  the  humid  coast 
area  of  California.  Growing  among  the  redwoods  may  be  found 
a  number  of  equally  characteristic  trees,  shrubs,  plants,  and  ferns, 
more  or  less  strictly  limited  in  their  distribution  to  the  so-called 
redwood  belt.  Here  also  may  be  found  certain  forms  of  birds, 
such  as  the  crested  coast  jay  (Cyanocitta  stelleri  carbonacea} ,  the 
chestnut-backed  chickadee  (Penthestes  rufescens  neglectus),  and  nu 
merous  other  forms  of  animal  life  peculiar  to  the  coast  region  farther 
north.  Here  may  be  studied  the  complex  relationships  between  the 
fiora  and  fauna  of  the  redwood  belt  and  the  more  open  regions  in  the 
central  parts  of  the  State.  The  value  of  Muir  Woods  as  a  wild  life 
refuge  lies  not  only  in  the  preservation  of  the  redwood  trees,  but  in 
the  preservation  of  all  those  species  of  plants,  birds,  and  other 
animals  which  find  their  native  habitat  in  the  peculiar  conditions 
under  which  the  redwood  thrives.  In  order  to  develop  the  reserva 
tion  along  these  lines  complete  lists  of  the  plants,  animals,  and  birds 
should  be  published  in  a  form  accessible  to  the  general  public. 
Through  cooperation  of  the  California  Academy  of  Sciences,  the 
Cooper  Club,  and  other  organizations,  local  botanists,  ornithologists, 
and  zoologists  should  be  encouraged  to  visit  the  reservation  fre 
quently  and  study  it  closely  for  the  purpose  of  noting  any  changes 
in  the  native  fauna  or  flora  or  the  occurrence  of  rare  species.  When 
the  more  salient  facts  have  been  made  as  accessible  as  have  been  the 
characteristics  of  the  geysers  of  the  Yellowstone  or  the  waterfalls  of 
the  Yosemite,  visitors  who  annually  go  through  the  reservation  will 
be  stimulated  to  check  up  the  observations  and  perchance  add  to  the 
records  of  the  occurrence  of  rare  species. 


PINNACLES    NATIONAL    MONUMENT. 


The  Pinnacles  National  Monument,  so  named  on  account  of  the 
spire-like  formations  which  rise  from  600  to  1.000  feet  above  the 
floor  of  the  canyon,  includes  about  2,000  acres  of  land  in  San  Benito 
and  Monterey  Counties,  Cal.  Aside  from  its  geological  and  scenic 
interest,  it  is  important  as  one  of  the  last  strongholds  and  breeding 


14  NATIONAL  MONUMENTS  AS  WILD-LIFE  SANCTUARIES. 

places  of  the  California  condor,  the  largest  and  one  of  the  most 
characteristic  birds  of  the  State.  This  bird  is  protected  at  all  times 
by  a  provision  relating  to  nongame  birds  in  the  State  game  law.  Not 
far  from  this  monument  is  the  type  locality  (or  place  from  which 
the  first  specimen  was  obtained)  of  the  peculiar  form  of  blacktailed 
deer  described  as  Odocoileus  columbianus  scaphiotus  by  Dr.  C.  Hart 
Merriam  in  1898.  The  monument  was  created  on  January  16,  1908r 
and  a  year  later  it  was  made  a  game  preserve  by  act  of  the  State  leg 
islature  (Laws  1909,  ch.  428).  Eecently  it  has  been  made  a  separate 
game  district  by  the  game  law  of  1915  (ch.  379,  sec.  26)  which  pro 
vides  that  "  Game  district  25  shall  consist  of  and  include  those  cer 
tain  lands  within  the  counties  of  San  Benito  and  Monterey  embraced 
within  the  Pinnacles  National  Monument,"  etc.  Thus  not  only  is 
this  interesting  area  reserved  from  entry  and  occupation,  but  the 
bird  and  animal  life  of  all  kinds  is  now  protected  by  special  pro 
visions  in  the  State  game  law. 

COLORADO    NATIONAL    MONUMENT. 

In  western  Colorado  near  Grand  Junction  is  a  little  known  monu 
ment  which  has  been  in  existence  since  May  24,  1911,  containing  a 
canyon  which  is  described  as  "  more  beautiful  and  picturesque  than 
the  region  of  the  Garden  of  the  Gods  at  Colorado  Springs."  This 
is  one  of  the  larger  monuments,  comprising  13,883  acres,  and  is 
supplied  with  a  number  of  fine  springs.  During  the  cold  weather 
hundreds  of  mule  deer  come  down  into  the  park  to  spend  the  winter* 
The  Colorado  monument  is  capable  of  being  developed  into  an  im 
portant  game  refuge  not  only  for  the  mule  deer  but  also  for  antelope, 
elk,  buffalo,  and  other  species  characteristic  of  western  Colorado  and 
the  Great  Basin.  It  is  better  adapted  for  the  purpose  than  either 
the  Rocky  Mountain  or  the  Mesa  Verde  National  Park,  and  can 
probably  be  made  one  of  the  most  attractive  wild-life  centers  in  the 
whole  Rocky  Mountain  region.  Under  present  State  laws  the  hunt 
ing  of  buffalo,  elk,  antelope,  and  deer  is  prohibited  at  all  seasons, 
and  with  proper  provision  for  fencing  and  the  introduction  of  small 
nucleus  herds  the  area  could  readily  be  stocked  with  big  game. 

PAPAGO  SAGUARO  NATIONAL   MONUMENT. 

Nine  miles  east  of  Phoenix,  Ariz.,  and  not  far  from  Tempe  is 
located  the  Papago  Saguaro  National  Monument,  including  about 
2,050  acres  of  desert  land  in  Maricopa  County.  This  reservation 
was  established  by  proclamation  on  January  31,  1914,  and  has  been 
in  existence  only  about  three  years.  A  ridge  of  low  hills  rising  from 
the  desert  to  a  height  o£  150  or  200  feet  extends  through  the  center 
of  the  tract,  and  among  the  rocks  are  prehistoric  pictographs  which 


NATIONAL  MONUMENTS  AS  WILD-LIFE  SANCTUARIES.  15 

add  to  the  ethnological  interest  of  the  monument.  On  account  of  its 
easy  accessibility  by  automobile  or  team  on  the  highway  between 
Phoenix  and  Tempe,  the  monument  is  utilized  largely  as  a  picnic 
ground  and  is  visited  by  several  thousand  people  each  year.  It  was 
created  primarily  for  the  preservation  of  the  giant  cactus  (Saguaro) 
and  other  species  of  cactuses,1  yuccas,  candle  bushes,  and  the  peculiar 
desert  flora  characteristic  of  this  region.  The  giant  cactus  is  a 
favorite  nesting  place  of  the  elf  owl  (Micropallas  whitneyi)  and  the 
gilded  flicker  (Colaptes  chrysoides  meamsi),  while  the  clumps  of 
other  cactuses  are  the  favorite  breeding  places  of  the  cactus  wren 
(Heleodytes  brunneicapillus  couesi).  Other  birds  peculiar  to  this 
region  are  the  curious  curve-billed  thrashers — Bendire's  thrasher 
(Toxostoma  bencfcrei)  and  the  crissal  thrasher  (2\  crissale) ,  and 
the  Arizona  woodpecker  (Dry abates  arizonce).  Thus  the  preserva 
tion  of  the  flora  naturally  attracts  and  preserves  an  aggregation  of 
desert  birds  which  find  among  the  shrubs  and  plants  suitable  nest 
ing  places  and  an  abundance  of  food. 

Immediately  west  of  Tucson  the  Carnegie  Institution  established, 
in  1903,  the  desert  laboratory  of  its  department  of  botanical  research 
for  the  investigation  of  problems  connected  with  the  study  of  desert 
plant  life.  At  Phoenix  the  Government  has  now  established  a  reser 
vation  for  the  protection  on  a  larger  scale  of  some  of  the  desert  species 
which  are  the  subject  of  study  at  Tucson.  Three  years  after  the 
establishment  of  the  desert  laboratory  the  grounds  were  inclosed  by 
a  wire  fence,  and  within  a  few  months  after  the  completion  of  this 
fence  a  marked  difference  was  reported  between  the  vegetation 
within  and  without  the  inclosure,  and  also  a  marked  increase  in  the 
number  of  the  smaller  animals.  This  fact  is  significant  in  showing 
the  importance  of  preventing  grazing  animals  from  having  free 
access  to  the  monument.  Apparently  no  complete  list  of  the  plants 
has  yet  been  made,  but  lists  both  of  the  plants  and  birds  should  be 
prepared  fcr  the  purpose  of  noting  changes  in  the  flora  and  fauna 
and  for  interesting  the  general  public  in  the  true  purpose  of  the 
reservation.  While  the  giant  cactus  and  the  yuccas  may  be  the  most 
conspicuous  species,  they  are  not  necessarily  the  most  interesting, 
and  the  full  value  of  the  reservation  can  only  be  developed  by  fur 
nishing  information  to  the  general  public  in  concise  and  popular 
form  as  to  the  effect  which  these  dominant  types  have  on  other 
forms  of  life  and  in  the  whole  group  of  species  which  characterizes 
the  plant  and  animal  life  of  the  desert. 

SIEUR  DE   MONTS   NATIONAL   MONUMENT. 

Mount  Desert  Island,  a  unique  and  striking  landmark  on  the  Maine 
coast,  was  the  first  land  along  the  coast  to  be  described  and  named  by 

1  Probably  at  least  one-half  of  all  the  species  native  to  Arizona  grow  within  the  limits 
of  the  reservation. 


16  NATIONAL  MONUMENTS  AS  WILD-LIFE  SANCTTJ  ABIES. 

the  French  explorer  Champlain.  Recently  5,000  acres  adjacent  to 
Bar  Harbor,  including  the  most  rugged  parts  of  the  island,  have, 
through  the  generosity  and  public  spirit  of  the  Hancock  County 
trustees,  been  dedicated  forever  to  free  public  use  and  the  purposes  of 
wild-life  conservation.  The  historical  associations  of  the  locality  are 
preserved  in  the  name  of  Sieur  de  Monts,  under  whose  orders  Cham- 
plain  sailed  when  he  discovered  the  island  in  1604.  The  geological 
objects  of  interest  are  preserved  in  the  bold  granite  cliffs  which  form 
the  only  mountainous  tract  thrust  prominently  out  into  the  sea  along 
this  part  of  the  coast.  The  botanical  importance  of  the  region  is 
shown  by  the  fact  that  hills  and  mountains  support  on  their  slopes 
and  in  their  valleys  a  diversity  of  plant  life  which  is  said  to  be 
greater  than  can  be  found  in  any  area  of  equal  size  in  New  England 
or  in  the  Eastern  States.  Mount  Desert  lies  in  the  highway  of  bird 
migration  along  the  Maine  coast,  and  here  converge  the  lines  of  mi 
grants  from  the  north  and  east  on  their  way  south.  Birds  from  four 
distinct  life  zones  visit  the  island  at  some  time  during  the  year. 
Denizens  of  the  Arctic  and  of  the  Hudsonian  zone  in  TTngava  and 
southern  Labrador  visit  it  in  winter;  species  of  the  Canadian  life 
zone,  which  breed  in  southern  Canada  and  northern  New  England, 
nest  here  in  summer;  and  in  addition  some  species  from  the  more 
southern  Transition  or  Alleghenian  fauna  straggle  in  from  the 
west  and  south.  Such  are  some  of  the  historic  and  scientific  objects 
of  interest  preserved  in  this  new  monument  created  by  proclamation 
on  July  8,  1916.  Here  are  preserved  under  most  favorable  circum 
stances  a  unique  collection  of  native  animals,  birds,  and  plants,  which 
can  be  enjoyed  and  studied  amid  their  natural  surroundings. 

The  plans  of  the  founders  of  the  reservation  contemplate  not 
merely  the  protection  of  the  wild  life  of  the  area,  but  also  its  develop 
ment  under  natural  conditions,  so  that  some  forms  now  rare  may  be 
come  more  abundant  and  the  reservation  thus  be  made  more  attrac 
tive.  Here  it  may  be  possible  to  develop  a  bird  sanctuary  and  feed 
ing  stations  for  birds  on  the  lines  of  those  which  have  proved  so  suc 
cessful  in  Europe.  By  cultivating  native  shrubs  and  plants  which 
furnish  food  for  birds  and  thus  making  the  sanctuary  more  attrac 
tive  to  certain  birds  which  are  now  rare  or  which  linger  only  a  short 
time  during  migration  it  may  be  possible  to  induce  them  to  tarry 
longer  and  perchance  breed  within  the  boundaries  of  the  monument. 
In  accessibility,  opportunity  for  experimental  work,  and  as  a  field 
for  botanical  or  zoological  study  Sieur  de  Monts  is  unexcelled  by  any 
of  the  other  monuments. 

From  the  foregoing  it  may  be  seen  that  the  much  misunderstood 
term  "  monument "  has  a  distinctive  place  and  is  in  reality  descriptive 
of  certain  kinds  of  reservations.  One  has  only  to  consider  the  Muir 


NATIONAL  MONUMENTS  AS  WILD-LIFE  SANCTUARIES.  17 

Woods  and  Sieur  de  Monts  monuments  as  sanctuaries  established 
on  the  Pacific  and  Atlantic  coasts  for  the  preservation  of  redwoods 
and  the  northern  coniferous  trees,  respectively,  to  realize  that  in  re 
ality  these  two  reservations  are  at  least  monuments  of  the  public 
spirit  of  private  citizens  who  have  dedicated  these  wonderful  tracts 
of  wild  land  to  the  Government  for  the  benefit  of  all  the  people. 

It  is  apparent  also  that  there  are  ample  means  of  protecting  the 
natural  monuments  which  have  been  nationalized  by  proclamation 
and  placed  under  the  care  of  the  Government,  and  that  on  some  of  the 
reservations  are  some  highly  interesting  species  which  deserve  the 
protection  which  can  only  be  afforded  by  a  wild-life  sanctuary.  Some 
kinds  of  big  game  occur  in  even  larger  numbers  than  in  some  of  the 
national  parks.  Thus  in  the  case  of  elk,  the  Mount  Olympus  National 
Monument  during  the  breeding  season  harbors  most  of  the  Olympic: 
elk  in  existence.  Nowhere  else,  not  even  in  the  Mount  Rainier  Park 
in  the  same  State,  is  any  considerable  herd  of  these  elk  to  be  found. 
The  number  at  the  present  time,  probably  about  4,000,  is  larger  than 
that  of  any  herd  ,f  elk  outside  of  the  Yellowstone  Park  region. 

In  the  case  of  mountain  sheep,  the  records  show  about  220  sheep 
in  the  Yellowstone  Park,  about  400  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  Park,  and 
a  few  hundred  in  the  Glacier  Park,  while  about  1,000  have  been 
reported  in  the  Grand  Canyon  of  the  Colorado.  Thus  the  Grand 
Canyon  Monument  at  present  not  only  has  more  sheep  than  any  one 
of  the  national  parks,  but  possibly  as  many  as  there  are  in  all  of  the 
national  parks  combined. 

No  species  of  big  game  except  the  antelope  is  in  greater  need  of 
protection  than  the  mule  deer.  Although  several  of  the  parks  and 
reservations,  including  the  Yellowstone,  the  Rocky  Mountain,  the 
Glacier,  the  Wind  Cave,  and  Sullys  Hill  National  Parks,  and  the 
National  Bison  Range,  the  Wichita  game  preserve,  and  the  Niobrara 
Reservation  are  well  adapted  for  this  species,  yet  not  one  of  these 
refuges  has  a  large  number  of  mule  deer  at  the  present  time.  The 
number  in  the  Yellowstone  Park  in  1914  was  estimated  to  be  about 
1,100;  there  are  a  few  hundred  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  Park,  some 
in  the  Glacier  Park,  and  practically  none  in  the  other  reservations. 
In  the  Grand  Canyon  game  preserve,  which  overlaps  the  Grand 
Canyon  National  Monument,  there  are  said  to  be  several  thousand 
and  many  mule  deer  come  down  in  the  winter  to  the  Colorado  Na 
tional  Monument.  While  the  exact  number  of  these  deer  in  the 
monuments  is  unknown,  it  is  perhaps  not  too  much  to  say  that  the 
Grand  Canyon  game  preserve,  the  Grand  Canyon  Monument,  and  the 
Colorado  Monument  are  better  stocked  than  any  other  reservations 
with  this  interesting  species  of  deer  which  is  so  characteristic  of  the 
West. 


18  NATIONAL  MONUMENTS  AS  WILD-LIFE  SANCTUARIES. 

In  the  administration  of  the  national  parks,  much  attention  has 
been  devoted  to  rendering  the  parks  accessible  and  much  emphasis 
is  laid  on  the  number  of  visitors.  In  comparison  with  the  expendi 
ture  on  some  of  the  parks,  the  amount  expended  in  improving  the 
accessibility  of  the  national  monuments  has  thus  far  been  insignifi 
cant,  but,  notwithstanding  this  fact,  four  of  the  monuments  above 
mentioned — the  Grand  Canyon,  Muir  Woods,  Papago  Saguaro,  and 
Sieur  de  Monts — are  readily  accessible  and  are  visited  annually  by 
thousands  of  sight-seers. 

The  first  three  of  these  reservations  are  open  throughout  the  year 
and  Muir  Woods,  Papago  Saguaro,  and  Sieur  de  Monts  are  within 
easy  reach  of  near-by  cities.  It  does  not  require  a  million  acres,  a 
million  dollars,  or  a  group  of  attractions  like  those  in  the  Yosemite 
and  the  Yellowstone  to  attract  a  large  number  of  visitors.  Muir 
Woods,  with  its  300  acres  and  a  grove  of  redwoods,  has  as  many 
visitors,  in  some  years,  as  any  of  the  larger  parks,  not  even  except 
ing  the  Yellowstone,  with  its  3,000,000  acres,  its  famous  canyon, 
its  falls,  and  its  many  geysers  and  hot  springs.  The  number  of  vis 
itors  at  the  Grand  Canyon  in  1915  was  estimated  at  100,000,  or  three 
times  as  many  as  have  ever  visited  the  Yosemite  or  Mount  Rainier 
and  twice  as  many  as  have  ever  visited  the  Yellowstone  in  a  single 
season.  Even  the  Papago  Saguaro  has  more  visitors  than  such  parks 
as  the  Casa  Grande  Ruins,  Sullys  Hill,  or  the  Mesa  Verde.  People 
will  find  objects  of  interest  and  means  of  enjoyment  in  any  of  the 
reservations  which  are  within  easy  reach,  and  since  some  of  the 
monuments  may  be  made  more  accessible  than  some  of  the  parks, 
and  at  less  expense,  it  seems  important  to  develop  at  once  the  re 
sources  of  these  reservations  for  the  benefit  of  the  public. 


PUBLICITY. 


More  attention  should  be  given  to  publicity  both  within  and  with 
out  the  reservations — within,  by  making  the  points  attractive,  by 
marking  the  less  prominent  objects  of  interest,  riot  merely  with  names 
and  signs  but  with  descriptive  labels  somewhat  after  the  type  of 
museum  labels;  without,  by  bringing  the  monument  home  to  the 
individual  who  can  not  be  brought  to  the  monument.  In  addition  to 
the  usual  methods  of  publicity  employed  in  popularizing  the  national 
parks,  such  as  illustrated  publications,  magazine  articles,  news  notes, 
photographs,  moving  pictures,  railroad  advertising,  etc.,  certain 
other  methods  are  necessary  to  disseminate  and  popularize  the  infor 
mation  regarding  some  of  the  smaller  and  more  remote  reservations. 
In  comparison  with  the  geological  work  which  has  been  done  in 
some  of  the  parks  and  the  ethnological  work  which  has  been  under 
taken  on  some  of  the  ruins  in  the  Southwest,  the  amount  of  natural 


NATIONAL  MONUMENTS  AS  WILD-LIFE  SANCTUARIES.  19 

history  work  actually  done  in  the  parks  and  monuments  is  pitifully 
meager.  Such  work  whether  done  by  the  various  bureaus  of  the 
Government  or  by  private  enterprise  should  be  encouraged  in  every 
possible  way.  We  can  hardly  know  too  much  about  the  natural  re 
sources  of  these  various  recreation  grounds.  There  should  be  many 
more  publications  like  those  on  the  flora  of  Mount  Rainier,  the  fishes 
of  the  Yellowstone,  the  forests  of  Crater  Lake,  of  the  Yosemite,  and 
of  the  Sequoia  Parks.  Lists  of  the  birds  and  mammals,  such  as  are  now 
published  in  the  circulars  of  information  of  the  Yellowstone  and  Yo 
semite,  but  with  brief  notes,  should  be  prepared  for  each  of  the  monu 
ments  which  form  important  wild-life  sanctuaries.  Efforts  should 
be  made  not  merely  to  add  to  the  volume  of  current  and  ephemeral 
literature,  chiefly  useful  in  attracting  visitors,  but  to  encourage  the 
preparation  of  more  permanent  publications  in  the  form  of  local  lists. 
special  papers,  and  monographs  which  may  find  a  place  in  the  pro 
ceedings  of  scientific  societies  and  later  utilized  in  the  preparation  of 
textbooks  and  standard  works  of  reference. 

Public  museums,  especially  those  which  are  now  devoting  atten 
tion  to  the  installation  of  so-called  habitat  groups  or  the  exhibition  of 
animals,  birds,  and  plants  in  groups  amid  natural  surroundings, 
should  be  encouraged  to  obtain  material  and  install  groups  repre 
senting  the  wild  life  of  these  reservations.  Such  groups  illustrating 
the  Muir  Woods,  the  Sieur  de  Monts,  the  Grand  Canyon  of  the 
Colorado,  the  Pinnacles,  and  the  Papago  Saguaro  installed  in  the 
museums  of  San  Francisco,  Los  Angeles,  Denver,  Chicago,  and  New 
York  would  be  viewed  by  thousands  of  visitors  and  prove  of  high 
educational  value.  Local  students  interested  in  particular  problems 
in  distribution  of  wild  life  should  be  encouraged  to  make  the  monu 
ments  and  the  parks  the  field  of  their  investigations.  Notes  on  the 
wild  life  should  be  furnished  regularly  to  such  organizations  as  the 
American  Game  Protective  and  Propagation  Association,  the  Na 
tional  Association  of  Audubon  Societies,  the  Mazamas,  the  Sierra 
Club,  and  local  associations  which  are  interested  primarily  in  prob 
lems  of  conservation  and  education  so  that  their  members  may  assist 
in  the  work  of  disseminating  information  and  popularizing  the 
reservations. 

ADMINISTKATION. 

The  proper  administration  of  some  of  the  smaller  national  monu 
ments  differs  greatly  from  that  of  the  larger  reservations  or  of  the 
national  parks.  A  national  monument  may  be  allowed  to  lie  dor 
mant  for  years,  practically  unknown  and  undeveloped ;  it  may  be  left 
without  a  custodian  only  to  be  injured  or  destroyed  by  vandals  so 
that  eventually  it  accomplishes  nothing  more  than  if  it  had  never 
been  established ;  or  it  may  be  cared  for  and  developed  so  as  to  pro- 


20  NATIONAL  MONUMENTS  AS  WILD-LIFE  SANCTUARIES. 

duce  a  rich  return  to  the  people  for  whose  benefit  it  was  created. 
Such  a  monument  as  the  Devils  Tower,  which  can  not  be  carried 
awray  or  seriously  defaced  except  by  painting  signs  and  advertise 
ments  on  the  rocks  at  its  base,  may  require  little  beside  publicity  and 
warning  notices  to  make  it  properly  known  and  provide  for  its  pro 
tection.  Monuments  like  the  Montezuma  Castle  or  the  Navajo,  which 
contain  cliff  dwellings,  require  not  only  publicity  to  make  their  won 
ders  known,  but  also  custodians  to  protect  their  ruins  from  injury. 
But  a  monument  established  for  the  preservation  of  wild  life  re 
quires  more  than  either  of  the  types  of  reservations  just  mentioned. 
It  needs  publicity  of  a  peculiar  kind  to  set  forth  clearly  and  in  sim 
ple  language  the  facts  (often  obscure  to  the  casual  visitor)  regard 
ing  the  nature  and  life  history  of  its  treasures.  It  requires  the  serv 
ices  of  a  resident  official,  who  should  be  something  more  than  a  mere 
custodian,  who  should  be  intelligent,  and  in  sympathy  with  the 
objects  of  the  reservation  in  order  that  he  may  act  as  guardian, 
guide,  and  instructor  to  the  public  and  impart  authentic  information 
while  answering  the  numerous  questions  regarding  the  objects  under 
his  charge.  It  also  requires  constant  observation  and  careful  study 
by  specialists.  A  reservation  like  the  Muir  Woods  is  undergoing 
constant  changes,  many  of  which  are  apparently  only  upon  close  ex 
amination.  Species  nowr  abundant  may  become  scarce,  others  now 
rare  may  increase  in  abundance,  and  still  others  now  absent  may  ap 
pear.  The  dates  of  arrival  and  departure  of  the  birds,  the  times  of 
their  meeting,  the  dates  of  flowering  and  fruiting  of  the  plants  all 
vary  from  season  to  season.  These  and  other  similar  facts  should  be 
observed,  recorded,  and  made  public.  Much  of  this  work  can  not  be 
performed  by  a  regular  custodian  and  can  be  done,  if  at  all,  only 
through  the  cooperation  of  special  students  or  observers.  A  national 
monument  maintained  as  a  sanctuary  for  wild  life  should  become 
practically  a  natural  outdoor  laboratory  or  observatory.  It  is  in 
reality  a  property  of  all  the  people  which  can  only  be  administered 
successfully  for  the  people,  when  utilized  fully  and  studied  care 
fully  by  the  people  themselves. 

o 


